Norway Mulling Restriction on Use of Huawei Equipment for 5G Networks

Norway’s government is reportedly considering whether it will follow the likes of the UK and the USA, and restrict Chinese vendor Huawei’s involvement in the rollout of 5G networks. According to Reuters, which cites comments made by the Norwegian justice minister Tor Mikkel Wara, the administration is currently discussing measures aimed at reducing any potential vulnerabilities ahead of the upgrade to 5G by the nation’s cellcos. With both Telenor Norge and Telia Norge currently using equipment provided by Huawei in their 5G tests, Wara noted: ‘We share the same concerns as the United States and Britain and that is espionage on private and state actors in Norway … This question is high priority … we want to have this in place before we build the next round of the telecom network.’ When asked whether actions could be taken against Huawei specifically, the minister added: ‘Yes, we are considering the steps taken in other countries, that is part of it – the steps taken in the United States and Britain.’